Qualified Oregonians whose applications have been processed by Cover Oregon have until 5 p.m. Dec. 27 to select a plan if they want subsidies available through the health insurance exchange, officials warned today.
The deadline applies to those who submitted applications by Dec. 4 and who are notified that their applications have been processed. The state was expected to continue notifying some people at least through today.
The process of enrolling should have been routine, but continued problems with the exchange website, a focal point of federal health reforms, forced a switch to paper applications in November. Though Gov. John Kitzhaber and his administration said people could apply through Dec. 4 and get coverage Jan. 1, the applications have not been processed as quickly as hoped.
Once qualified applications select a plan for Jan. 1 coverage, they have until Jan. 15 to submit payment. People who don't need or expect exchange subsidies can enroll directly through an insurer or insurance agent.
As of Dec. 23, Cover Oregon had found more than 45,000 people eligible for private health insurance plans. But only a fraction have signed up. According to Cover Oregon, so far more than 12,000 people have enrolled in private insurance plans and more than 24,000 in the Medicaid-funded Oregon Health Plan using the exchange paper application.
Another 100,000 people have enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan using a streamlined process set up by the state to bypass Cover Oregon.
--Nick Budnick
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